Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Port Authority launches pilot of real-time bus tracker

Riders of the Port Authority P1 East Busway-All Stops route are now able to track real-time locations of the bus as part of a pilot program launched today.

Real-time arrival information for the P1 is only available online, but the authority will install electronic countdown signs at various stops along the Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway next month.

The P1 route, according to the agency, will be used to test and demonstrate the new system. It's expected to expand the service to additional routes in early 2014 and have most of the bus system covered by 2015.

"The request that I get most often when we talk about bus service is for real-time information so that people can plan for when their bus is arriving," Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said in a press release announcing the pilot. "We've wanted to see this for a very long time and I'm excited that we're taking that first step forward and am really looking forward to seeing the full system operational for all riders in Allegheny County."